The untimely death in early 2004 of Kathleen Ryan evoked much sadness among the members of Nenagh Lawn Tennis Club and among the broader tennis fraternity. Kathleen was one of the most popular and best loved members across all the playing groups in Nenagh LTC. She was friendly, unassuming, modest and always a pleasure to meet.
Her death came as a shock to all of us. We knew that she was seriously ill, but we hoped that she would make a full recovery. Fate had been unkind to Kathleen in recent years. Her first bout of serious illness struck over 3 years ago. Then, as she was recuperating and coming back to full health, she suffered a cruel blow when her husband Mick Ryan (Lacken) died suddenly.
However, she overcame this hurdle and life appeared to coming back to a happier state for her when her illness returned.
Katheen played tennis in her younger days at Caherconlish Tennis Club, but tennis took a back seat as life and family priorities demanded attention. In 1986, she spotted a note in the Nenagh Guardian inviting any ladies interested in playing tennis to come along to the Nenagh club on Wednesday mornings. Kathleen came along and rarely missed a Wednesday mornings since then. And she was also a regular at almost everything else which went on in the club since then.
Kathleen's first arrival at the club was vividly and fondly recalled at her funeral by many of the regulars at those mornings. That decision to come along then led to many lasting and genuine mutual friendships which were deeply appreciated on all sides.
Kathleen loved the game of tennis and all its subleties and would always acknowledge a good player or good shot. She played socially for enjoyment, but she also loved the competitive element and always played in the club and open competitions with no little success.
We would joke with her that she must have had the shortest second service throw-up in the game. But she was the one laughing because that serve always came in, and it always came in with a slice which made it extremely difficulty to return. The words 'double fault' were not in her vocabulary.
She also played inter-club tennis and was a key member of Nenagh teams in the early formative days of the Midland Tennis League during the late 1980's, travelling to such places as Tullamore, Athlone, Birr, etc. She was still playing Midland League up to recently. She was always willing and would do her best to make herself available to play on a team.
Her other big sporting passion was hurling and her eyes would light up as she recounted the excitement and tension of the lastest Munster championship encounter. She attended them all. As a Limerick woman of course, Tipp/Limerick encounters generated an extra special thrill and an opportunity for some banter.
Nenagh LTC members formed a guard of honour at Kathleen's removal and her friends from the club were honoured to have an involvement in her funeral Mass.
We offer our sympathy to her daughters Catherine, Mary, Eithne, Martina and Michelle, her brothers, and all her family. May she rest in peace.
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